PADUCAH — A man with local ties has achieved athletic success on the international stage, but it wasn't an easy journey for Chuck Melton, who received his third silver medal at the Paralympics in the sport of wheelchair rugby.
A man with local ties has achieved athletic success on the international stage, but it wasn't an easy journey for Chuck Melton, who received his third silver medal at the Paralympics in the sport of wheelchair rugby.
Melton grew up between Symsonia and Benton, and graduated from Marshall County High School in 1996. He still has family in Calvert City.
He won the silver medal at the summer games in Rio, Tokyo and now, Paris, and is showing the world what persistence, determination and bouncing back from rock bottom can look like.
Twenty years ago, going to the Paralympic games in Paris wasn't in Chuck Melton's plans, but today, Melton can call himself a three-time silver medalist in wheelchair rugby.
Melton lost the ability to use his legs after a jump in a lake in 2002, which was the lowest point of his life. But his wife, and other family members, encouraged him to stay active.
"Five years after my accident, I was sitting around on the couch, I was smoking two packs of cigarettes a day, I was feeling sorry for myself. I had actually, I gained a lot of weight, I was just over 300 pounds, and she was like, 'I've had enough,'" said Melton.
Eventually, Melton tried out wheelchair rugby, and the rest is history.
Melton, with the U.S. wheelchair rugby team, won silver this year.
Melton, with the U.S. wheelchair rugby team, won silver this year.
In the crowd that day was Kelly Taylor, who closely follows wheelchair rugby. She lives in Paducah, where she's a professor with the occupational therapy program.
She uses her platform to educate and advocate for adaptive fitness and sports, and inform people about the options available.
"If becoming more physically active or participating in a sport, even on a recreational basis is something that you would even like to explore, first of all, just know that that exists," said Taylor. "It's out there and you may just have to do a little bit of digging, or have somebody do a little bit of digging to find where that is."
Melton agrees. He said putting in the effort to find that sport, hobby or activity is worth it.
"Kept going back and trying and trying and failing, trying and failing, it was just one of those things, the work will pay off, whether if it's that sport you're looking for, or you might find an open door somewhere else but it's absolutely worth trying," said Melton.
Taylor said there are online resources for adaptive sports and recreational activities.
She recommends checking out NCHPAD and the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
As for the future, Melton isn't quite sure about his plans for the Los Angeles Paralympic games, but said he's excited for the opportunities the future will bring.
